What Standing Ovation does

Standing Ovation is a French protein company (SAS, founded June 2020 in Paris) that uses precision fermentation to produce animal-free dairy proteins, with its flagship product Advanced Casein being a casein powder molecularly identical to bovine casein — same structure, amino acid sequence, and functional behavior (coagulation, foaming, emulsification). The proprietary process ferments engineered microorganisms (yeast, bacteria, algae, fungi) in bioreactors and uniquely upcycles dairy whey permeates as feedstock, embedding a circular-economy model. The company has extended this fermentation + DSP platform into pet food with Tertia Protein, a single-cell protein offering 85% protein content and 0.92 BOISEN digestibility for up to 20% inclusion in dry kibble.

The business is B2B ingredient supply: Standing Ovation sells Advanced Casein and Tertia Protein as raw materials to agri-food, dairy, and pet food manufacturers for downstream use in cheese, yogurt, ice cream, barista milk, cream, high-protein drinks, chocolate, and hybrid dairy applications, with pricing negotiated under multi-year contracts (not publicly disclosed). The go-to-market blends direct enterprise sales with strategic industrial partnerships — most notably Bel Group (since 2022, now an equity investor) for industrial-scale co-production from whey waste, plus Ajinomoto Foods Europe and Tetra Pak for processing and packaging scale, and Danone Ventures as a strategic shareholder. Commercialization is staged: France-centric today, with a US launch planned for 2026 pending FDA approval and subsequent expansion into Europe and Asia by end of 2027.

The company has raised approximately $50M+ cumulatively across a €12M Series A (September 2022), a €3.75M Series A+ extension (September 2024), and a $34.2M Series B (March 2026, co-led by Bpifrance's Ecotechnologies 2 fund and Crédit Mutuel Innovation, with strategic participation from Bel Group and Danone Ventures). It operates a headcount of approximately 36 professionals across microbiology, biochemistry, fermentation engineering, food science, and regulatory affairs, led by CEO Yvan Chardonnens (joined May 2024) and founder/Managing Director Romain Chayot. The company has been recognized under multiple French state programs (i-Lab, i-Nov, French Tech 2030, France 2030) and targets profitability in 2028.

Name

Standing Ovation

Legal name

STANDING OVATION (Société par Actions Simplifiée)

Website

https://standing-ovation.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Standing Ovation is a Paris-based protein company that uses precision fermentation — including upcycling of dairy whey permeates — to produce animal-free casein and single-cell proteins for B2B sale to food, dairy, and pet food manufacturers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Fermented Dairy Proteins

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020)

akta.pro primary industry

Dairy Protein Ingredients (Whey, Casein/Caseinates, Milk Protein Concentrates/Isolates) (AFAJAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Whey Fractionation & Bioactive Ingredient Isolation (α-Lac, Lactoferrin, Immunoglobulins, GMP) (AFAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Precision fermentation proteins
• Animal-free dairy proteins
• Recombinant casein ingredients
• Single-cell protein production
• Alternative dairy ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B ingredient sales (Industrial casein supply): Pre-commercial / early commercial B2B sales of Advanced Casein™ ingredient to agri-food manufacturers, dairy companies, and cooperatives for use in cheese, yogurt, ice cream, barista milk, cream, high-protein, and chocolate applications. Sales are based on volume/quantity of protein ingredient supplied rather than a recurring subscription.
2. B2B pet food protein ingredient sales: Sales of Tertia Protein™ single-cell protein ingredient to pet food manufacturers for inclusion in dry kibble, treats, and snacks (up to 20% inclusion rate in dry dog and cat recipes).
3. R&D and customization services for industrial partners: Tailor-made protein development alongside industry leaders across food supplements, pet food, health, and cosmetics — leveraging in-house R&D capacity to design custom proteins with specific functionalities for client-specific applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Standing Ovation sells B2B precision-fermented protein ingredients to industrial manufacturers, with Advanced Casein™ as its flagship patented casein powder (molecularly identical to bovine casein) and Tertia Protein™ as a single-cell protein for pet food. Production uses a patented end-to-end precision fermentation process that upcycles dairy whey permeates into bioidentical dairy proteins free of antibiotics, lactose, and GMOs. Target customers include dairy manufacturers, cooperatives, food, nutraceutical, pet food, health, and cosmetics companies.

Product overview

Standing Ovation is a French protein company that operates a single-platform precision-fermentation business selling B2B ingredient solutions rather than a modular software platform. Its core offering, Advanced Casein™, is the patented recombinant casein powder (molecularly identical to bovine casein) that powers the company's dairy, hybrid, and vegan applications for food, nutraceutical, health, and cosmetics manufacturers. Tertia Protein™ is a second product built on the same fermentation and DSP platform, extending the portfolio into the pet food segment with a single-cell protein tailored for dry-kibble, treat, and snack formulations. The underlying platform is a five-step precision-fermentation process (resource → fermentation → purification → protein → application), with the company holding patents across substrate selection, ferment strain engineering, and purification; partners such as Bel Group, Ajinomoto Foods Europe, and Tetra Pak support industrialization and scale-up.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Advanced Casein™: Standing Ovation's first patented product — a casein powder produced via precision fermentation that is molecularly identical to casein from cow, goat or sheep milk. Used across dairy applications including cheese, yogurt, ice cream, barista milk, cream, high-protein drinks, and chocolate.
• Tertia Protein™

Products and services

• Advanced Casein™ Patented precision-fermented casein powder molecularly identical to casein from cow, goat, or sheep milk — same structure, same amino acid sequence, same coagulation ability. Produced by upcycling dairy whey permeates. Designed as a drop-in ingredient for dairy manufacturers to produce cheese, yogurt, ice cream, barista milk, cream, high-protein products, chocolate, and hybrid dairy applications while reducing environmental footprint (claimed 10x less freshwater, 10x less CO₂, 100x less farmland versus intensive animal farming). Free of antibiotics, lactose, and GMOs.
• Tertia Protein™ Next-generation single-cell protein produced via precision fermentation, formulated for pet food (dry kibble, treats, snacks for dogs and cats). Delivers 85% protein content, well-balanced essential amino acid profile, and high digestibility (BOISEN digestibility score = 0.92). Clean-label (no artificial additives), fully extrudable at inclusion rates up to 20% in dry dog and cat recipes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional animal-derived casein
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Tetra PakcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2025Strategic partnership announced to accelerate the industrialization of alternative proteins by combining Standing Ovation's precision fermentation technology with Tetra Pak's food processing and packaging capabilities.
• Ajinomoto Foods EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership announced in January 2025 between Standing Ovation and Ajinomoto Foods Europe to accelerate the industrialization of alternative proteins.
• Bel Group (Groupe Bel)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Strategic partnership since November 2022 covering co-development and industrial-scale production of recombinant casein from whey waste. In October 2025, the two companies announced successful industrial-scale production of recombinant casein from dairy whey. Bel Group also joined the 2026 Series B as an existing investor expanding its strategic partnership.
• Ferments du FuturminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcosystem/network partner featured on the company's website partner page; French fermentation R&D consortium.
• AgroParisTechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ecosystem/institutional partner on the Standing Ovation website (agronomy and biotechnology academic partner).
• FoodLabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner/institution on the Standing Ovation website.
• Protéines FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a network/institutional partner on the Standing Ovation website; French plant and new protein industry association.
• Bioeconomy For Change (B4C)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a network partner on the Standing Ovation website; French bioeconomy industry association.
• EuropaBiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an institutional/network partner on the Standing Ovation website; European biotechnology industry association.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Bel Group: Global dairy conglomerate (Laughing Cow, Babybel, GoGo squeeZ) and Standing Ovation's flagship industrial partner and shareholder. Comparable as both a customer and a strategic incumbent with its own alt-protein initiatives (including Remilk/Bored Cow).
• Novonesis (formerly Chr. Hansen): Global bioscience and fermentation giant with deep dairy culture and enzyme franchises. Comparable as a broad incumbent in food-grade fermentation, with the scale and R&D depth to compete or partner with precision-fermentation startups.
• Danone: Global dairy and plant-based dairy leader (Alpro, Silk, Activia) and a new strategic investor via Danone Ventures. Comparable as a tier-1 dairy customer and incumbent with active alt-protein programs of its own.

Direct peers

• Perfect Day: US-based pioneer in precision-fermented dairy proteins (whey β-lactoglobulin). The most direct comparable to Standing Ovation in terms of technology platform, B2B ingredient model, and customer base (dairy manufacturers).
• New Culture: US-based startup making mozzarella-identical cheese via precision-fermented casein. Comparable on technology platform and B2B dairy ingredient model, though more downstream-integrated (finished cheese) than Standing Ovation.
• Remilk (Bored Cow): Israel-based precision-fermented casein producer (now part of the Bel Group ecosystem following Bel's investment). Directly comparable on protein (casein), technology (precision fermentation), and channel overlap via Bel Group.
• Imagindairy: Israeli startup producing animal-free dairy proteins (including casein and whey) via precision fermentation. Closely comparable on protein portfolio, B2B ingredient model, and target dairy-manufacturer customers.
• Those Vegan Cowboys: Belgian precision-fermentation startup specifically developing animal-free casein for cheese applications. The closest European peer to Standing Ovation on protein identity (casein) and target application (cheese).

Emerging players

• Wilk (formerly Biomilk): Israel-based startup developing cell-cultured and precision-fermented dairy components (including casein). Comparable as a peer in the alternative-dairy-protein race, though earlier-stage and with a mixed cell-culture / fermentation approach.
• Triton Algae Innovations: US-based producer of alternative proteins via algae-based fermentation. Comparable as a fermentation-based alternative-protein ingredient supplier, though focused on algae rather than casein.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/standingovation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors13 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Standing Ovation